Questions about Wrist supports.

[BowlingJoe]

So I'm not sure on this, and I figure i'll just ask Freddy and he'll say try this, then if I don't like that he'll say Try that or something along those lines. But anyways the issue i'm having is, I am trying to get away from cupped throw I previously had, its not so much that I bowl poorly with it, but I just can't get it to go very well quickly down the lane, I top out at like 10-11 when i throw it that way where if I give myself a higher backswing, my previous way had 0 backswing pretty much. I'm upwards of 15, mostly experimenting seeing which does best for me so on so forth.

Issue i'm having is, I can't hook it, I've been at it for weeks and I think the problem is my wrist is falling back, its just not under the ball at all so the only rev's i'm getting out of it really is forward at release sometimes a little on the side but there's really 0 hook to it, which isn't bad. The games I tried bowling that way I had 3, each with only 2 opens and 2 of those were splits the others just well poor aim on my part. But when I bowl straight I just don't get strikes hardly at all, I bowl higher with my slower hook ball than i do with my straight just due to the increased amount of strikes I think cause my opens are about the same the past week either way.

Point though, what would be some good wrist supports that just keep my hand from rolling back and don't really do anything else but that?

[NewToBowling]

Yes, I also had problems with a broken wrist. I purchased a Robby Revs at local pro shop for $25 or so. I used it as a training device and now that I have a stronger wrist I don't need it anymore. But it definitely helped with wrist control.

[djp1080]

Are you sure that the cause of reduced/no hook is your wrist breaking back? Have you seen a video of yourself or have you had a coach watch you?
I had a problem with turning my hand during the backswing. When I finally would get to the release, my hand was over the top of the ball. Essentially (and I didn't realize it) I was throwing a knuckle type of ball down the alley with no revs. A coach took a video of a couple of my shots and that convinced me that I was going about it all wrong. There are likely several drills you can use to help. One is to get your body into a finish release position near the foul line and swing the ball by your side gently back and forth a couple of times. Then just let the ball roll off your hand on one of them and watch what happens without turning your hand, wrist or arm... After you're comfortable doing that you can move on to the one-step drill where you start up in your normal set up position and only take one step to deliver the ball...
If you're convinced that it's your wrist breaking back, some of the most supportive devices are made by Mongoose Products. They have three to choose from. Check on the size you may need. I've used their Lifter and now use the Optimum with additional strap around the palm. The supports do what they're intended to do, but they sure won't help a hand or wrist that is turning over the top of the ball... :)

[Aslan]

Joe-

3 options for ya to consider:

1) No brace/positioner- Try to release the ball as effortlessly as possible. I found that the more I "tried" to create revs...the less I'd create. Yet if I just "dropped it" (what FELT like dropping it)...I'd get revs.

2) If it truly is a "wrist breaking" issue, try a very simple wrist positioner like the one mentioned or a Wristmaster or something like that. They are very cheap, I bought two online and the used one was like $13 shipped and the new one was $15 shipped. They won't help CREATE revs...but they'll help to keep your wrist from breaking during your backswing.

3) If you're still struggling...try a bigger, bulkier wrist brace. Storm makes a nice one as does Brunswick and other manufacturers. You're almost guaranteed to see a better axis tilt and rotation on the ball. It won't solve all of your problems since much of what might be wrong is probably multi-faceted...but it WILL help.

I started using a bigger brace after struggling to get back to the pocket and now have reverted back to the wrist positioner. The wrist brace worked SO WELL...that it actually worked TOO WELL and made me miss left constantly. And I never liked wearing it because it messed with my spare shot. Clara Guerro uses one and takes it off for spares...but doing that would annoy me even more than missing right (or a close second) to I don't want to wear the bigger brace unless I have no other option.

[BowlingJoe]

At this point I'm not really sure of anything to be honest lol, I've tried various things and all have came back with the same result. I've found if I don't think about my throw at all I get a forward roll, if I think about it, I wind up throwing that sort of knuckle ball, Sometimes I even get a very very slight hook where the ball won't really hook but go at an angle then pull straight. Which I've found is pretty useful for those pesky 10 pins, but doesn't help a whole lot other wise. Far as how it feels, It feels like my wrist is More ontop of the ball at release rather than behind it or beneath it.

I've been trying the one step drills, or my variation of it, which is more like a really slow walk? for some reason standing at the line really messes with me and I just end up over in some gutter lol, brain needs those steps or something not sure, it just feels really awkward and I never manage to hit my arrow. It could just be in my head, I feel a bit dumb standing there at the line swinging my arm and then releasing, I need my own indoor bowling alley in my garage, i'd be more comfy feeling a bit dumb there. My slow or sorta two step works mean I can hit my arrows then, but well still feels more like a wrecking ball sort of motion where my fingers are atop the ball and I just end up with a little forward spin, sometimes a very slight angled motion but rarely enough to do much more than straighten the ball up if I throw it at an angle rather than pull it towards that head pin.

Theory was, the wrist support might and thats a pretty big key word, prevent me from well going atop the ball, or it might well do nothing darned if I know, but ideally it seemed logical to me if nothing else. I use to have more of a cupped approach, and throw a well pretty slow ball really cause there was hardly any back swing and I'm a short skinny guy so not a whole lot of mass behind the toss. With back swing I'm around 14 mph at pin, without its more like 10 and a lot of the times I go from the left gutter where I stand, over to the right gutter, then back to the left gutter cutting right infront of the head pin cause there's too much rev and not enough momentum. Trying to get away from that. Mostly cause it feels more natural the other way. Issue is as mentioned I loose the hook. /shrugs/ Far as the coach goes, 30 bucks to pay some guy to come out and watch me throw is 30 more than I'd really like to spend to be honest, It'd probably help sure but I don't know. I suppose if it gets too much closer to summer league and I haven't sorted something out that'll probably be the route I end up going.


Are you sure that the cause of reduced/no hook is your wrist breaking back? Have you seen a video of yourself or have you had a coach watch you?
I had a problem with turning my hand during the backswing. When I finally would get to the release, my hand was over the top of the ball. Essentially (and I didn't realize it) I was throwing a knuckle type of ball down the alley with no revs. A coach took a video of a couple of my shots and that convinced me that I was going about it all wrong. There are likely several drills you can use to help. One is to get your body into a finish release position near the foul line and swing the ball by your side gently back and forth a couple of times. Then just let the ball roll off your hand on one of them and watch what happens without turning your hand, wrist or arm... After you're comfortable doing that you can move on to the one-step drill where you start up in your normal set up position and only take one step to deliver the ball...
If you're convinced that it's your wrist breaking back, some of the most supportive devices are made by Mongoose Products. They have three to choose from. Check on the size you may need. I've used their Lifter and now use the Optimum with additional strap around the palm. The supports do what they're intended to do, but they sure won't help a hand or wrist that is turning over the top of the ball... :)

[BowlingJoe]

Yeah been trying that whole no wrist thing, best i'm getting is forward roll and not even a lot of that to be honest, I do throw a decent straight ball now, well decent meaning If I throw a full game and throw straight and end up with 0 splits my trend lately has been to only leave 2 opens, which isn't bad cause usually those two I'm looking and thinking yeah I missed that arrow by a board or two. So its just been on my crappy aim which is slowly getting better.
My thoughts to just go with the simplistic one, just something to keep it from falling back which puts my hand ontop of the ball, where if it were more straight, I'd be more behind it, and I think that would help. Big think there, but logically it seems like it should? I'm not even after a ton of revs, just enough to Pull in from the right rather than hit it dead on, cause though I do now and then strike with my straight ball, more often than not I leave at least 1 if not 2 or a split. I've stopped paying attention to my score though I just don't even look up at the screen less i'm just shooting spares for 3 games where I just throw straight and try to pick up whats left. Which i figure is good practice, but not really helping the hook situation but least i'm not frustrated then. Thats sorta what its become though frustrating, its not that I don't know the concepts, I've seen enough video's watched enough tv to have the idea in my head, its purely finding some means to get my hands to do whats in my head. I could just be over thinking it though I don't really know. I think the wrecking ball end to my throw isn't helping at all though, and maybe that a more simple wrist support could help prevent that. Maybe..


Joe-

3 options for ya to consider:

1) No brace/positioner- Try to release the ball as effortlessly as possible. I found that the more I "tried" to create revs...the less I'd create. Yet if I just "dropped it" (what FELT like dropping it)...I'd get revs.

2) If it truly is a "wrist breaking" issue, try a very simple wrist positioner like the one mentioned or a Wristmaster or something like that. They are very cheap, I bought two online and the used one was like $13 shipped and the new one was $15 shipped. They won't help CREATE revs...but they'll help to keep your wrist from breaking during your backswing.

3) If you're still struggling...try a bigger, bulkier wrist brace. Storm makes a nice one as does Brunswick and other manufacturers. You're almost guaranteed to see a better axis tilt and rotation on the ball. It won't solve all of your problems since much of what might be wrong is probably multi-faceted...but it WILL help.

I started using a bigger brace after struggling to get back to the pocket and now have reverted back to the wrist positioner. The wrist brace worked SO WELL...that it actually worked TOO WELL and made me miss left constantly. And I never liked wearing it because it messed with my spare shot. Clara Guerro uses one and takes it off for spares...but doing that would annoy me even more than missing right (or a close second) to I don't want to wear the bigger brace unless I have no other option.

[Amyers]

At this point I'm not really sure of anything to be honest lol, I've tried various things and all have came back with the same result. I've found if I don't think about my throw at all I get a forward roll, if I think about it, I wind up throwing that sort of knuckle ball, Sometimes I even get a very very slight hook where the ball won't really hook but go at an angle then pull straight. Which I've found is pretty useful for those pesky 10 pins, but doesn't help a whole lot other wise. Far as how it feels, It feels like my wrist is More ontop of the ball at release rather than behind it or beneath it.

I've been trying the one step drills, or my variation of it, which is more like a really slow walk? for some reason standing at the line really messes with me and I just end up over in some gutter lol, brain needs those steps or something not sure, it just feels really awkward and I never manage to hit my arrow. It could just be in my head, I feel a bit dumb standing there at the line swinging my arm and then releasing, I need my own indoor bowling alley in my garage, i'd be more comfy feeling a bit dumb there. My slow or sorta two step works mean I can hit my arrows then, but well still feels more like a wrecking ball sort of motion where my fingers are atop the ball and I just end up with a little forward spin, sometimes a very slight angled motion but rarely enough to do much more than straighten the ball up if I throw it at an angle rather than pull it towards that head pin.

Theory was, the wrist support might and thats a pretty big key word, prevent me from well going atop the ball, or it might well do nothing darned if I know, but ideally it seemed logical to me if nothing else. I use to have more of a cupped approach, and throw a well pretty slow ball really cause there was hardly any back swing and I'm a short skinny guy so not a whole lot of mass behind the toss. With back swing I'm around 14 mph at pin, without its more like 10 and a lot of the times I go from the left gutter where I stand, over to the right gutter, then back to the left gutter cutting right infront of the head pin cause there's too much rev and not enough momentum. Trying to get away from that. Mostly cause it feels more natural the other way. Issue is as mentioned I loose the hook. /shrugs/ Far as the coach goes, 30 bucks to pay some guy to come out and watch me throw is 30 more than I'd really like to spend to be honest, It'd probably help sure but I don't know. I suppose if it gets too much closer to summer league and I haven't sorted something out that'll probably be the route I end up going.

My wife had a lot of issues with breaking of the wrist and being on top of the ball and switched to a wrist brace. It did help with the wrist breaking back but a brace will not solve the problem of being on top of the ball that is in your swing mechanics and hand positioning. Some people can just do it naturally, some people can watch some videos and get it close enough to be effective, and a lot of people will never develop an effective release with out proper coaching. If you really like the sport then spend a little money on the coaching. Bowling is way cheaper than just about any other sport so don't fixate on the money. It won't be $30 though because they aren't going to correct your issues in a single lesson. Most of the time I see people struggling it's actually a combination of swing and footwork they are going to want to fix the footwork before they start working on the release. Just be prepared.

[BowlingJoe]

I don't know mean sure its cheaper than golf or something, but I never spent this much money on Frisbee Golf in the summer, then again it doesn't help on the weekend where i'm paying for 3 people for 2 hours sometimes 4 people rather than just me. I'm over where I would like to be budget wise so far, but well better me be over than my bro and his fiancee who just had a baby. So I'm taking the blunt there on the weekends. But even then usually 15 bucks or so for 2 hours after buying a coke from the fountain. Which ends up being about 35 on the weekend so 200 a month. Adds up pretty quick, more so when well your not making that much in the first place. The paying the local guy is really a last resort in my mind, if all else fails pay that guy. Though might come to that more sooner than later at the rate the annoyance level is rising. Its funny I'll sit here when bored and throw my non existent ball and watch my wrist then watch videos and go yeah that looks about right, but come practice well it just never works out that way. Drives me nuts I tell ya.



My wife had a lot of issues with breaking of the wrist and being on top of the ball and switched to a wrist brace. It did help with the wrist breaking back but a brace will not solve the problem of being on top of the ball that is in your swing mechanics and hand positioning. Some people can just do it naturally, some people can watch some videos and get it close enough to be effective, and a lot of people will never develop an effective release with out proper coaching. If you really like the sport then spend a little money on the coaching. Bowling is way cheaper than just about any other sport so don't fixate on the money. It won't be $30 though because they aren't going to correct your issues in a single lesson. Most of the time I see people struggling it's actually a combination of swing and footwork they are going to want to fix the footwork before they start working on the release. Just be prepared.

[NewToBowling]

Bowling is cheap especially with coupons and knowing when to go. Me, wife, and my dad went this weekend and each got in 6 games (18 games total) and only paid a bit over $21 total. Not bad for three hours of bowling.